Hey everyone, just wanted to say we're finally here, the beginning of the Avengers. I just have to say again I know how long you all have been waiting for this. This chapter is the turning point for the story. It's a mix of the MCU and my story. All will be explained later on. Thank you again for all your help. Now here we go.
April 2012- Third Person's POV
The New York SHIELD office was known for being the second most busy of the organization's office. The first being the Triskelion in Washington DC. The past few weeks most of the personnel from that office had been transferred temporarily to Washington. The reason being, Captain America had been found. Director Fury of SHIELD wanted to keep it as quiet as possible but things didn't exactly work out the way he wanted.
To help Steve Rogers slowly adjust to the new time he thought it would be a good idea to set up a staged room that looked like a 1940's hospital. The captain was dressed up in sweats with the SSR logo and a radio in the room was playing a recording of a baseball game.
Steve slowly opened is eyes and saw the ceiling fan spinning around. He sat up and looked out the window and saw the New York skyline. The baseball game in the radio sounded very familiar. It took him a second to realize why it sounded so familiar. At that moment a woman with red waist length hair wearing an SSR uniform similar to the one Peggy would wear.
"Good Morning," She greeted. She looked down at her watch. "Or should I say afternoon.
"Where am I?" Steve asked.
"You're in a recovery room in New York City." She said
Steve kept listening to the radio when he heard it. He knew this game, he and Bucky had gotten scalp tickets and went to the game.
"Where am I really?" He said
"I'm afraid I don't understand." She said getting a bit concerned.
"The game its from May 1941, I know cuz I was there." He said. He stood up and the woman took a step back and pressed the emergency button to call for back up. "I'm gonna ask you again where am I"
"Captain Rogers…"
"Who are you?" He said raising his voice. Two men dressed in black walked in and Steve thought they were Hydra. They tried to restrain him but he pushed them through the wall and ran out pushing past the woman. Steve looked around and saw that the set up was completely fake.
"Captain Rogers wait…" She called after him but Steve ignored her and ran out. He ran into a hallway where people wearing suits were walking around. Then on the overhear her heard her say, "All agents code thirteen. Everyone turned to look at him and they ran after him. Steve ran out of the building as fast as he could. The agents were still after him so he ran into the street. The cars were different for some reason but he didn't have time to focus on that. He ran until he made it to what looked a lot like Times Square except this was flashier. There were screens and flashing signs. The stores were different.
Cars screech to stop in front of him.
"At ease soldier." One of them called out. A tall bald man wearing an eye patch and all black clothes said. He walked closer to Steve who was still panting and in shock of what he was seeing.
"Look I'm sorry about that little show back there but we thought it best to break it to you slowly." Fury said.
"Break what?" Steve said confused.
"You've been asleep Cap, For almost seventy years." Fury told him
Seventy years. Around the same time Nora was from. Nora… Nora! He left his soul mate alone in 1945! Steve just stood there shocked and heartbroken.
"You gonna be okay?" Fury asked him.
"Yeah, yeah I just, I had a date." Steve said. A date with both of his soul mates in the afterlife.
"I know this is a lot to take in but it would be better if you came back to the office so we can debrief you and fill you in on what you've missed.
"Yeah, Lead the way." Steve said following Fury back to a car.
The car drove off and Steve just sat there looking at how much New York had changed. This was the world his soul mate grew up in. His soul mate that he left behind in 1945 and had no idea how to find.
Nora's POV-
I was getting ready for work when there was a knock at my door. I walked over and saw that it was a deliveryman. I opened the door holding Axl back.
"Hi." I said.
"Hi, are you," He looked at the tag of a gift wrapped box "Nora Martell?" He asked.
"Yes." I said awkwardly.
"Please sign here." He said handing me over his pen and form. I signed quickly and he handed me the box.
Who would send me a gift in the middle of April? It's not Christmas or my birthday. Then my phone started ringing. It was dad's ACDC ringtone.
"Did you get it?" He said when he answered.
"Hello to you to." I greeted.
"Oh right hi, Did you get it?" Dad said.
"Yeah I'm currently staring at the giant red and gold box. What's in it?" I asked.
"Open it." Dad said.
"Is it bad that I'm a bit afraid of seeing what's inside?" I asked.
"Don't worry it's not a snake or spider, just a severed arm." He said.
"What?" I knew he was kidding but sometimes it was hard to tell.
"Just open it." He said.
"Fine." I said. I opened the box and moved the tissue paper. Inside was a white V-neck A-line dress. The V- neckline was tasteful and the back also had a V but not too revealing. "Oh my gosh." I said looking at it.
"You saw the shoes?" He asked.
"You got me shoes too?" I asked.
"Yeah I just bought you the dress but not the shoes." He said sarcastically with a slight 'duh' connotation in the beginning. I looked through the box and saw as shoe box and I almost dropped the box.
"Dad…" I said,
"Open the box." He said
"But," I said.
"Open it." He coaxed. I took off the lid and fell in love.
"They're so pretty. My precious." I said.
"Huh, Pepper said the same thing the first time then she…"
"AHHH!" I let out a high pitched scream.
"Did that." Dad finished.
"Dad you shouldn't have." I said.
"Nora I had to. I know you and I know you haven't had a chance to buy your outfit. This is a big day. We have to pull out all the big stops." He said.
"Thanks dad." I said.
"What no complain about exceeding the price limit?" He said.
"Dad they're Louboutins. I want to be buried in these. They make my butt look amazing." I said
"You know on second thought I think I should return those…"
"To late I just tried them on and I'm never taking them off." I said walking around the apartment in my new shoes.
"Glad you like them. Well I got to go, Call you later." He said.
"Bye and thank you." I said before he clicked.
I took my shoes off and put them back in the box. I slipped on some sandals and put the box back in my room.
I put the box down and then I got the chills. Damn one whole month without one and now it does this. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
When I felt the glowing and chills stop I opened my eyes I saw that I was in one of the hallways of the Griffith where Peggy lived. I was not expecting this. I heard grunts and someone fighting. I walked closed and saw that Peggy was fighting a blonde woman and she was doing really well. A lot of martial arts and gymnastics involved. Peggy started loosing the upper hand and I got closer to try and help.
I kicked her off of Peggy but she rolled onto her feet immediately.
"What did you do to her?" I asked.
"Just gave her a kiss, but you're not going to be so lucky." She said with a smirk.
We started fighting and I blocked all her hits on my own. She wasn't giving me a chance to use my powers so it was hand-to-hand. She moved fast throwing punches and kicks. She finally managed to find an opening and kicked my side. She took advantage of that moment to inject my neck with something.
"Ah!" I said "What did you inject me with?" I said.
"A neurotoxin. Fast acting. Gives you some fun hallucinations before your body finally shuts down. Enjoy" she said before running out.
I felt really cold and lightheaded. Then it started. I was glowing. Shit, really not a good time.
It was getting hard to breath and I felt cold.
I opened my eyes and saw I was in a kitchen somewhere. It was modern but simple. Wooden countertops and floors. Same with the furniture and the couch was beige suede. This place didn't seem familiar. The room started spinning and I was having a hard time staying up.
"Nora?" I heard someone say. I looked over and saw the neatly combed blonde hair and beautiful cerulean eyes I only see in my dreams now. He was standing there wearing a fitted white T-shirt and brown slacks.
"No, this isn't real. You're not really here." I said. And just as I said that I started falling to the ground.
"Nora! You're alive" He said shocked.
"No don't!" I shouted. "Stay away from me."
"Nora, it's okay." He said.
"No it's not, you died. You chose to die and you left me alone. Why did you leave me Steve." I said crying. "It hurt so much. I don't want to live without you and Bucky but you didn't care."
"Baby no, don't say that. I loved you I still love you. I'm here. I survived seventy years in ice. This is our second chance. We can be together."
"That's not true, this is all a dream a hallucination. You have no many times I've had this dream and then I wake up alone. Ahh!" I said. My skin felt like I was on fire.
"Nora what's wrong?" He said.
"You're just a side effect from the neurotoxin. I'll be with you soon Steve, with you and Bucky." I said starting to get sleepy, probably from oxygen deprivation.
"Nora no, listen to me. I'm here I'm in 2012, in New York City. Stay with me baby please." He said tearing up.
"I-I c-ca-an't breea-the." I managed to choke out before I started glowing again.
"No no no!" He shouted and he disappeared.
I appeared again in the ranch.
"Nora!" I heard Wren shout. "Shit" he muttered.
I was struggling to breathe. My chest was tight I felt cold and every time I tried to move it hurt.
He ran to my side and checked my pulse. "Pulse elevated pupils constricted. Shit you got poisoned." He sat me up and put an arm around me. I felt like the floor was pulled out from under me and when I felt the ground again we were in the basement lab.
Wren picked me up and put me on the futon. I was still gasping for air.
"Friday run a diagnostic scan." Wren said as he started hooking up an IV.
"Pupils constricted, elevated heart rate, muscles constricting, pain when moving, Nora's been poisoned and judging by the symptoms were looking at a neurotoxin." She said.
"Crap, Does Nora have anything for this situation." Wren asked.
"In the cabinet, vial DGNS-19. Inject it straight into her heart." The AI said.
Wren disappeared and then came back a few seconds later.
"Nora, you're going to be okay." He said. The next thing I felt was a sharp and painful punch to my chest.
I gasped and sat up. I started coughing but I could breathe again.
"Ow." I groaned. I tried getting up but Wren pushed me back down.
"Wait a few minutes. Let the antidote work." He said.
"'Kay, thanks for saving me, don't think I wanted to live through another hallucination." I said.
"Any time besides you've done the same for me." He said. "I forgot you used to have bangs?" He chuckled.
"I swear I totally regret them sometimes. I used to be able to sneak into bars and clubs now I actually get ID." I said chuckling a bit.
"Where exactly in the timeline are you?" He asked.
"April 2012, a month before my graduation." I said making him chuckle.
"What's so funny?" I said.
"Oh, nothing just remembering the video of your speech Tony showed me." He said laughing.
"Holy crap did I mess up? Was it bad? Oh my gosh I ruined graduation didn't I?" I said hiding my face in embarrassment.
"Nora, calm down. I can't tell you much about your speech but I can tell you, you were honest and it was truly… you."
"Is that a good thing?" I said.
"As someone who knows you very well, that's a great thing." He said with a smile.
"How are you doing?" I asked. Now that I wasn't choking and my vision wasn't fading I got a better look at him. Wren looked wrecked. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked thinner.
"I'm, I'm good." He said.
"You want to try that again?" I said.
"You'll find out in a couple of years, I can't tell you right now." He said.
"Right," I said. "Any clue as to when we'll finally meet?"
"Patience is a virtue Nora. It'll happen when you least expect it. Come on you're getting shaky and it's not the poison this time. You been eating the bars?" he asked.
"I was about to have breakfast when I had another time jump." He sighed. "Sit down, I'll make you an omelet." He put a hand on my shoulder and we were back in the kitchen
"That's going to take some getting used too." I said.
He smiled, "You have no idea how much that's true."
"So seeing as every time I show up and you make me my favorite foods you want to tell me what you like so I can return the favor?" I asked.
"Let's see, I'm a huge fan of your bacon cheese and avocado omelet. Never tried avocado on an omelet until you made me one. Changed my world. I love that salmon you make, the one with the cheese and spinach." He said.
"Oh you mean feta and spinach stuffed salmon?" I said.
"You Americans and your obsession with stuffing things." He said.
"Oh shut up its better than boiling everything." I retort.
The conversation flowed pretty easy. I had enough time to eat and wash the dishes before it was time to go. It was nice having someone to eat breakfast with.
May 13th 2012
I was expecting to see Dad in the audience but I hadn't heard from him since he called about the dress he sent. I was nervous. Maybe something came up. It always happened and it always caused them both to miss any of my graduations. It's hard to believe with all my degrees this was the first time I actually showed up to the ceremony. And to make matters even worse I was at the very top of my class so I was supposed to give a speech. I hate public speaking.
"And now the Harvard Medical school valedictorian with summa cum laude honors of the Class of 2012, Nora Martell." I heard the school chancellor say.
I got up and shook his hand before taking the podium.
"Thank you Chancellor. Morning everyone. Many of you don't know me and a few of you do so most you are probably asking yourself who let a teenager dress up and pretend to be our valedictorian." That made a few people laugh.
"Well don't worry, I am actually Nora Martell, you don't have a security breech. My school experience has been a lot different than all of yours. I didn't actually step foot in a classroom until freshman year at MIT when I was thirteen. I know crazy right. Want to hear something crazier? I have three masters' degrees, an MBA and a PhD in Thermonuclear astrophysics. I know try saying that three times really fast. And now I have a medical degree." The entire crowd cheered at that.
"I'm not saying this to brag but so that you guys can understand how strange it is that despite me having all of these degrees this is actually the first time I actually show up to a graduation ceremony. It's also the first time I'm giving a speech so I apologize for how bad this is probably going."
"You doing great girl." I heard a classmate from my gross anatomy lab shout and the entire audience cheered.
"There were a few times this past year I didn't think I'd ever make it here let alone do it a year early. This year was one of the hardest of my entire life but if I had to do it all over again I would. It's a fact of life that nobody's perfect. That at one point everyone here has or will screw up. And that's okay. Because when life knocks us down we get two choices. We can stay down and wallow in self-pity or we can get up and build ourselves better than before. What breaks us makes us better. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs right?" I said.
"Since I've been up here like two minutes already and these gowns are itchy and I really want to throw my cap in the air, I'm going to end this speech on a lighter note. Everyone look around. You see classmates but the ones you really care about are your families. These ceremonies are not really for the graduates they're for the people who have been with you ever step of the way. The people who were there when you got your acceptance letter, the first time you cried before and after an exam and the people who were there they day you decided you wanted to be a doctor. Our diplomas only have our names but they shouldn't just have our names they should have theirs as well. So after all this is over be sure to thank them. Congratulations everyone." I said ending my speech. That was so bad.
The entire audience stood up and clapped.
After an hour of names being called everyone moved their tassels and threw their caps up in the air. Dad didn't make it but it's okay. As I said all those things about the people that were there I realized Dad wasn't really there for any of those moments and I was okay with that. As much as I wanted and needed my Dad around, the world needed him more. I got in my old car, I decided the Audi dad got me for my birthday would draw too much attention so it was currently in my garage, and just as I was about start it dad and Rhodey popped up behind me.
"Surprise!"
"AHHHH! Holy fuck!" I shouted. I looked over and saw that Rhodey was holding a graduation bear and dad was holding flowers.
"You guys actually came," I said crying.
"Of course we did, we heard your speech, very sarcastic and very heartfelt toward the end." Dad said.
"I didn't see you guys and thought you had other stuff to do." I said sniffling.
"I told you we were going to be here." Dad said.
"I know I just didn't see you." I said wiping my eyes.
"We didn't want to draw a crowd. We stayed back and out of sight." Rhodey said.
"Oh." I said.
"How about you hop over to the other seat and I'll drive." Dad said.
"Okay." I said. I jumped over to the passenger seat and dad went over to the drivers side.
He started the car and drove over to a restaurant on the waterfront.
"Its this…" Rhodey asked.
"It is." Dad answered.
"What is it?" I asked.
"This bistro used to be a coffee shop back when we were in school." Dad explained.
"How many times did we show up hungover?" Rhodey said.
"Too many to count." Dad said nostalgically.
"Man you guys are old." I said snapping them out of their nostalgia.
"Damn it Nora we age like fine wine." Dad retorted.
"Dad this place has been here since '82." I said.
"What? No it…" He looked down at the glass of water with the restaurant logo.
"Oh shit." Dad said
"Old man moment." I said.
"Respect your elders." Rhodey said before drinking his water making me laugh.
After Lunch we went to a park close to the apartment because Dad wanted to take graduation pictures. We took a bunch of photos with his phone, which had a really high resolution camera.
After we were done dad and Rhodey said goodbye and headed off. Dad had to be back in New York to finish up work on the Tower and Rhodey was going back to California.
I walked up to my apartment and looked around. The movers had gotten here taken what was being sent back to Dallas with Sam and Jess. They surprised me a few months ago by telling me Sam got into Law school in Dallas and they were moving there. I was so happy. My best friends were going to be in the same country as me.
I had one day left in Boston before I left to Afghanistan. Yeah, I got accepted into the program I applied to a few months ago. I would learn how to be a trauma surgeon from the front lines in the Middle East. Only problem, I still hadn't told Dad or Rhodey. I was going to tell them today but I just didn't want to ruin the day.
Axl was back in Texas with Sam and Jess. They read somewhere that having pets near babies helped them develop social skills or something like that. Two birds one stone.
I was going to war again except this time in my own time and in the Middle East where my dad was once kidnapped and held hostage for three months.
Oh Boy.
New York City- Third Person's POV
"Steve Please don't do this. We can find another way" Steve remembered Nora's voice. He looked down at the compass he had placed on the Plane's dashboard. It had a picture of Nora and Bucky from the previous Christmas.
"Nora you know there isn't. Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere if I wait any longer a lot of people are going to die." He said.
"Please Steve don't do this. Don't leave me alone." He heard her sob.
"You chose to die and you left me alone." Her voice echoed. "You did this to me." Her voice became filled with anger as her eyes started glowing.
Steve woke up gasping for air. He'd been having the same dream for the past three weeks. He had been living in the apartment SHIELD had set up for him. He spent the first week reading through the files they had provided on what his team had done after the War. He read them all. He knew they were all dead. The only person from the 1940's that was still alive was Peggy but he still hadn't contacted her. He was afraid of seeing how much she'd aged.
He asked Fury about Nora.
Flashback-
They had just gotten back from Times Square and they were sitting in a conference room.
"We prepared a packet with information on your team. If there's anyone else you want us to look up let us know." Fury said.
Steve looked at the names on the folder and found Howard Stark's folder.
"You're missing one, Nora Stark," Steve started.
"Nora Stark?" Fury said confused.
"Howard's Granddaughter or you may have her down as his cousin." Steve said.
"Cap, Stark had no family. He got married pretty late in life and had a kid, Tony Stark but Stark Junior doesn't have a kid. He isn't even married." Fury said.
"That's not possible. I met Nora in 1943. I rescued her in Azzano along with Bucky and the rest of the 107th. She's my soulmate and she's from the future. She's a time traveler!" Steve exclaimed.
"You've been through a lot and you're probably not thinking clearly." Fury said.
"She was the last person I talked to before I crashed the plane. I know she was telling the truth I saw her do it!" Steve shouted.
"Cap, Tony Stark doesn't have a daughter. He was married briefly and his wife was pregnant but she died during the delivery and the child was stillborn." Fury said.
And just like that Steve's world came crashing down. Nora had told them many times that even the smallest changes to the timeline could have giant consequences. What happened after he was gone? What did she do?
End Flashback
The adjustment had been hard. Then a week after he had been unfrozen he was getting ready to go out for the day and Nora appeared in his kitchen. She wasn't making any sense and she wasn't feeling well. She was sweating and couldn't stand. She was shaking and crying. He did that to her. He left her alone and unprotected and someone had hurt her. In Steve's eyes he had failed her just like he had failed Bucky.
He got out of bed and got dressed. Steve knew it was pointless to even try to go back to sleep so he headed to the gym down the street to work off some of that pent up energy.
He had been working out using a sand bag and getting lost in memories when he finally stopped holding back and punch the bag off its chain. He took a few deep breaths to find his center again. Wiped a bit of sweat off his brow before picking up another punching bag and starting again.
"Trouble sleeping?" Nick Fury said as he walked in.
"Slept for seventy years sir, I think I've had my fill." Steve said punching the bag.
"Then you should be out celebrating, seeing the world." Fury said, gauging Steve's reaction.
Steve stopped punching the bad and started unwrapping his hands. "I went under the world was at war, I wake up they say we won. They didn't say what we've lost." He said packing his things.
"We've made some mistakes along the way, some very recently." Fury said holding a file in his hand.
"You here with a mission sir," Steve asked already knowing the answer.
"I am." He answered.
"Trying to get me back in the world?" Steve said.
"Trying to save it." He said handing Steve the file. Steve took the file and opened it to see a report on the last thing he ever wanted to see again, the Tesseract.
"Hydra's secret weapon." Steve stated.
"Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you. He thought what we think, the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs." Fury explained.
Anything having to do with the Tesseract was bad news to Steve. It had given him nothing but trouble. Just touching it killed Schmidt.
"Who took it from you?" Steve asked.
"He's called Loki, he's not from around here." Nick said. The name Loki sounded familiar to Steve from somewhere. He was sure Nora had mentioned once. "There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're in. the world has gotten even stranger than you already know."
"At this point I doubt anything would surprise me." Steve said getting up and picking up his things.
"Ten bucks says you're wrong." Fury said with a smirk. Steve picked up a punching bag and started to walk out. "There's a debriefing packet waiting for you back at your apartment. Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now?"
"You should have left it in the ocean." He said sternly as he walked away.
Boston- Nora's POV
It was pretty late at night. I couldn't sleep so decided to start packing even though I still had two days. When I was done I went to the kitchen and pulled out a quart of mango sorbet and watched a talk show I found. I was laughing at a joke the host had made when my phone started ringing. I saw a photo of dad pop up. Why would he be calling this late at night?
I answered the phone and was greeted with, "What do you know about Selvig's extraction theory?" dad asked.
"Hello to you too." I said. "How's the tower?"
"Like Christmas but more me. Lit her up a few hours ago before Agent walked in and interrupted the celebration." He said a bit annoyed. "So the extraction theory?"
"Why do you need to know about that?" I asked confused.
"I'm being called in to consult. Apparently the title isn't just for show." He said.
"I know quite a bit actually. I spent a whole summer helping him design the initial experiments but we never actually had a big enough power source to try it out on." I got up and set up my laptop. I looked for a very specific file, "I have my noted right here, and I'm sending it to you now." I said at the same time the whoosh sound played.
I heard a ding on the phone. "Yeah I just got it."
"Look at the third page." He said.
"Power sources?" I said.
"Why would you need a power source to extract energy from another power source?" dad said.
"You need a secondary power source to displace the energy. The stabilizing agent like for example iridium would keep it stable during the shift so the energy wouldn't collapse on itself." I explained.
"I'm sending you some numbers" dad said. "How big would a power source need to be to extract energy of something of that high of a density?"
I opened up the email and started doing a few calculations in my head, "well you'd first have to break through the Coulomb barrier and you'd need about 120 million Kelvin to do it. That's where Erik got stuck at." I said.
"Of course, there haven't been any major breakthrough in heavy ion fusion in any reactors on the planet." He said. I started yawning when he said that.
"I think I can handle it from here, Thanks kid. Get some sleep." He said.
"Okay. Night dad." I said turning off the TV.
"Night." He said and hung up.
That was weird. Dad occasionally bounces ideas off of me just like I do to him but not as seriously as he did over the phone. Must be pretty serious if he's willingly helping SHIELD. I started yawning again. I'll call him again tomorrow. It's pretty late and I have errands to run before I leave. Oh shit, I forgot to tell him again.